Cold Water
by BedTimeMonster
Summary: When a summer outing goes awry, young Pippin must rescue Merry, and in the process, both cousins realize how much they mean to one another. No slash, one-shot, pre-quest. Please R


**Cold Water**

**Genre:** Drama  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairing: **None  
**Disclaimer:** You know the drill. Please don't sue :)  
**Author's Note:** This is more of an experimental piece for me, trying to capture mood more than I usually do. Please offer any constructive criticism, as it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks !

Merry is 16, Pippin is 9

* * *

_Cold water. It was all he knew, and, in his heart, all he felt he ever needed to know, given his present situation. It was tearing through his delicate flesh like a rough spear, and he felt numbed to the very core. Cold water, closing in all about him. Washing over him, but not cleansing as it went. An ice bath. A frozen river. Cold water._

Pippin, busy searching for the brightest, most crisp looking apple in the picnic basket he had brought with him, had not seem his cousin's body pulled underneath the strong current of the amber Brandywine just moments ago. Merry had been wading out into the river with his fishing pole in hand, headed for a large rock in the center of the body of water to sit atop of. Since this task had been done many times before without any complications, (and one mustn't forget how strong and brave Big Cousin Merry is), Pippin saw no need to act as a supervisor for this. And so, he had settled himself comfortably on the shoreline, preparing to take a bite out the most glorious looking fruit he had seen in all his 9 years of living, when he heard a cry, followed by a splash. Looking to the river, Pippin saw white water flowing rapidly where his cousin had stood just moments ago. Pippin's heart jumped out of his chest.

_When he opened his eyes, Merry saw the sun shining dimly through the water. He thrashed his arms and kicked his legs, using every ounce of energy he could muster up. That, and pure will to escape the water that surrounded him. Again, he thrust himself forward, but this only resulted in him plunging himself deeper down. His arm hit the large rock he had tried to get to just moments before with a sickening crack. Pain would have seared up his arm but the water was so very cold, and he was already to numb to have felt it._

Pippin leapt to his feet and rushed into the water, forgetting all at once that he couldn't swim his way out of an empty bathtub. He submerged himself deeper. Water now up to his ankles, knees, thighs. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with precious air, and plunged his head beneath the river's surface. He opened his eyes, and could scarcely make out a violently thrashing form some 10 feet ahead of him. Breaking the surface for one last breath, Pippin dove in again, and moved his arms in legs, in no particular coordination, in an attempt to propel himself toward his cousin; his brother.

_Merry's head reeled, and he could feel his insides screaming for air. Not of his own free will, he opened his mouth and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with murky river water. Coughing, coughing. He could still faintly feel the throbbing in his left arm. Or was it his right arm he had hit? Merry closed his eyes._

Grabbing his left arm tightly, Pippin pulled at his cousin, using up all the strength left inside him. Pippin broke the surface, and hauled his cousin up behind himself. Merry's face came out into the open again dripping wet, glistening in the afternoon sun. He coughed and sputtered.

_When he opened his eyes, Merry saw the sun shining brightly, and felt cool air kiss his face. His mouth opened widely, and he sucked in as much life giving air as his body would allow. Coughing, coughing. He'd cough for the rest of his life if it meant he could breathe._

_Pippin, dragging him along. Hard ground beneath him._

Not bothering to mind the slippery river-rocks beneath his feet, Pippin ploughed his way out of the water and onto the shore. He laid Merry down on the rocky shore, and turned him over, hitting his back in an attempt to get him to cough up all of the water. Water comes up, air goes down. Water comes up, air goes down.

After the coughing had ceased, Merry settled himself gingerly against a tree, minding his right arm. "Pip," he began hoarsely, "I think my arm's broken."

Pippin looked his cousin in the face. "Is that all, then?" He asked impatiently. Merry's eyes twinkled and a smile spread across his lips. "Why yes, Pippin, I believe it is."

Silently, they both agreed to go see a healer to look at Merry's arm, but not before finishing their picnic. Because while broken bones and tumbles into rivers are things of great importance, one thing outshines them all: Life, and whom you share it with.

Pippin sighed. "I love you, Merry."

"I love you, too, Pip."

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Hobbits love food, I love reviews


End file.
